The Essence of AUM written by K A Francis attempts to explore the world of AUM. The author introduces the readers to discussions on AUM that had taken place in history and the words of saints and other scholars. The book also searches for the origin of the term and when it was first used and written down. But what is more interesting is the author’s own findings and interpretations and comparisons.

The author quotes from various sources:

The most noteworthy….. discussion between Swami Vivekananda and his disciple Saratchandra Chakraborty…...took place in Calcutta in 1897’. And a catechism materialises to expound the implication of Aum. Swami Vivekanada quoth – ‘Even before creation Brahma existed as sound. Then came Aum. Or Sonic. Later different pre-existing sounds like ‘bhu: Bhuva: Swa’.